


Always Turned On

by jewelianna88



Category: Popslash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-23
Updated: 2011-04-23
Packaged: 2017-10-18 13:43:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/189473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jewelianna88/pseuds/jewelianna88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atlantic City never held so much appeal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always Turned On

At first, none of them had thought Chris was serious about it, but only Justin and Lance had put up a real fuss. Actually, Lance was only complaining about the location. Justin had a legitimate issue, being on another continent and all, but Chris wasn’t hearing any of it.

He’d decided that since his four best friends hadn’t been together for his birthday, they would come to a weekend gathering in Atlantic City in November. It was not a request, JC thought wryly, as the plane touched down on the tarmac in Trenton. From there, he had a car ready to take him down to the shore.

JC had already given Chris his present- a limited edition model Harley-Davidson created in the early 1970s. Still, he planned to go all out for the weekend. They hadn’t had a chance to party together since summer, and he’d been working long hours lately doing promotion for his album. Worn thin, he fell asleep as soon as he was whisked into the car.

They were staying at the Trump Taj Mahal, the most ostentatious of the casinos on the boardwalk. Lance had whined mercilessly about the fact that Chris was making them go to Atlantic City.

"It’s the bastard step-child of Vegas," he complained to JC after hearing the plans. "And Joey and I went with him to Jamaica for his birthday, so I don’t see why we have to be a part of this. It’s you and Justin’s turn to cater to his crazy ideas."

JC had only laughed at Lance’s end of the conversation as he tried valiantly to make Chris change his mind. He’d failed.

That was why JC was checking himself into the Lion Suite, the ridiculously overpriced and oversized hospitality suite Chris had reserved. It was big enough for 50 people, complete with their own bar and patio. He was relieved to realize there were six bedrooms in the one suite. It was too much space for one person alone.

The first to arrive, JC surveyed the empty room. Deciding that the safari theme was a little bit creepy, he left to check out the casino floor. They had access to some of the smaller gaming rooms, but the crowds were thin on the main floor so he didn’t feel too threatened when he wandered over to a poker table and dealt himself in. Most of the people in the casino were his grandparents’ age, day-trippers from all over the Eastern Seaboard. He smiled at the elderly man sitting next to him.

"You better watch yourself, sonny," the man said. He smiled a toothless grin. "This one’s a shark."

"Oh, yeah?" He grinned. This guy was great. "I’ll take my chances."

The dealer didn’t even crack a smile as he passed out the cards. JC kept a couple queens, swapping out a few numbers for a few more. He risked it on jacks or better, lost, then tossed in the chips for another hand.

"I warned ya," said toothless, and JC laughed. What a trip.

He played a few more hands, never winning. He was about out of chips when a pair of hands landed on his shoulders, startling him.

"C, you’d better fold, man. You got nothing but junk." A low voice had him whirling on his stool to see Lance standing behind him.

"Hey!" he cried, bolting out of his chair to wrap Lance in a huge hug. It was so good to see him, even though they’d been at the same party just last weekend.

It was hard, he thought, being in love with Lance. It wasn’t something he was entirely comfortable with yet, and doubted he ever will be. But something stirred inside him over the past few months, a longing and a realization that what he was feeling toward Lance was more than just friendship and camaraderie, but a true sense of love and devotion. Even hugging Lance now could send shivers down his spine- the most casual contact made his heart beat faster. He’d never experienced this before, not even with Bobbie, and it was scary. Yet over all of those emotions was the long developed sense of pleasure when he saw Lance again after a time apart.

Folding his cards down, JC pocketed his few remaining chips and left with Lance.

"We’ve got a lot to plan," Lance said as they wove through the rows of slot machines. JC grinned. Planning was one of Lance’s favorite activities. "We have to figure out something to do for Chris, something to get him back for calling us all here. We’re in fucking New Jersey, the armpit of America."

JC squirreled up his mouth in contradiction. He’d had a lot of nice vacations on the Jersey shore as a kid, not far from Atlantic City. But Lance had turned into a Hollywood snob during hiatus. If it wasn’t all the rage or completely against the rage so that it would soon be the rage, he didn’t like it. JC had seen more of Lance than any of the other guys during the break, both of them being on the West Coast. He figured that was why the crush had developed, simply from proximity, but it had blossomed into much deeper emotions because of the times they’d spent alone together. Having dinner or traveling to Vegas— even nights in at home had shown him the many layers of Lance’s characters, several of which hadn’t emerged clearly until the group had been put on hold and their own individual personalities were given time to develop.

Lance had claimed the room next to JC’s, he noted, when they get back to the Lion suite. He was going on and on about the murals on the wall and the rug by the fireplace that JC really hoped was faux fur when the door burst open. In came Joey and Chris, followed by a bellhop pushing their bags, and bodyguards behind them.

"Here we go, one more time, everybody get in line," Chris was singing as he conga-danced behind Joey into the parlor. Joey chimed in with the "yup-yup-yup here we go’s", and it was a big sing-a-long as they hugged and danced. JC caught a glimpse of the bellhop’s wary expression and discretely pointed him toward two of the empty rooms. It was chaos, he thought, then jumped into Joey’s arms, only to be flipped over his shoulder.

"Lemme go!" he squealed, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. Joey slapped his ass for good measure before putting him down. He was giggling now, unable to stop, curling into a ball on the polished marble floor.

"Oh, great, you’ve got him going." Lance rolled his eyes, still with one arm around Chris’s shoulders. "Now we’re never going to get to eat."

Food, JC realized, would help that aching in his stomach, so he struggled to get control. It only took three tries before he could stand up without breaking into laughter again.

They decided on the Hard Rock Café for dinner, because the fancy restaurants all had long lines and because Joey had a hamburger craving. They got a booth in the back and had a rather peaceful dinner. So far, no one had realized that four-fifths of *Nsync were sitting at the same table, admiring the memorabilia on the walls and trying to change the crossword answers on the children’s menu to dirty words.

Then the flashbulbs started going off and a high-pitched roar erupted on the other side of the restaurant. JC flashed a brilliant grin. "Justin’s here."

Indeed it was him, dancing through the restaurant to the beat of the old Aerosmith song playing over the loudspeaker, stopping to sign a few autographs and take a couple of pictures along the way. He looked dead on his feet, wearing baggy jeans a long-sleeve T-shirt, but he was smiling like a man who hit the jackpot with his last quarter.

The waitresses rushed to bring him a menu and place setting but he waved them away. Turning a chair around, he plopped down on it backward and reached over to steal fries from Joey’s plate.

"Just couldn’t resist making a scene, could you?" Joey laughed, but pushed his plate closer to Justin.

"I’ve been up for about twenty-seven hours right now. Since I’ve last slept, I’ve been in three countries, performed two shows, done a radio interview, and flown across the goddamn Atlantic Ocean." He sent a pointed look to Chris. "It’s a good thing you’re worth this shit."

Chris blew him kisses in response. The manager- it seemed their regular waiter wasn’t worthy of such an important customer as Justin Timberlake himself, JC noted- came by to ask if he could get them anything. Justin politely ordered some water, and JC noted Lance was giving some sort of signal behind Chris’s back. The plan was beginning, he realized.

Justin’s water came back, as did a small round cake decorated with yellow frosting. The top read "Happy Birthday—Again!"

"Because we already got you a cake, dumbass," Lance explained. Chris seemed to find this hilarious and took a swipe of the frosting as the waiters began to sing.

"Wait, wait," Justin cut them off. "We’ll do it." The four of them chimed in, harmonies perfectly aligned, to sing Happy Birthday to their friend, Lance substituting ‘dumbass’ for Chris’s name.

"Just for that, you’re not getting any cake," he retorted, and proceeded to cut the cake into four large quarters, doling out a piece to everyone except Lance. "Mmmmm, chocolate."

Lance pouted, until JC slid his plate between them, allowing Lance to share his.

"See, this is why I never got to be master of the universe," Chris whined. "JC’s always ruining my plans."

"Hey!" JC protested, "I’m here aren’t I? On my only weekend off this month?" He tried to pout, but the others weren’t buying it. Besides, Lance was eating all of the cake while he wasn’t looking, and it was really good cake. Plus, the way Lance licked the frosting off of his lips shoved aside all thoughts of trying to beat Chris at the zinger game.

After dinner- which was on the house, provided they allowed a few photos to be taken for the wall- they were escorted by security to one of the VIP casinos. The main floor was picking up as the weekend gamblers arrived and the Friday night crowd came for the clubs and restaurants. Tucked away on the 49th floor, they had an ocean front view and privacy from cameras and tabloid rats.

Ultimate poker, Chris declared, was the game of the night. JC groaned inwardly. Ultimate poker was a game the five of them had been playing since they had to use M&Ms instead of real money, and it was his downfall. It was a variation on five-person five-card-stud, and they had to explain to the dealer exactly how to play. Luckily, people are very accommodating in the VIP casino, and allow you to do things like make up your own rules.

JC studied his first hand, wondering why he always got the crap cards. Somewhere, he was convinced it was because God was smiting him. Gambling was forbidden for Mennonites, he knew that, and a little part in his brain told him that was why he had such lousy luck at cards. Meanwhile, Lance seemed to keep increasing his stack of chips until it toppled and was rebuilt as twin towers.

"Fold," JC said again. He remembered the Adam Sandler movie where the kid had a game called "I win!", where a two, an ace, a jack, an eight, and a seven could actually yield something. He wished he were playing that game.

Justin snorted, then tossed in his chips. "Call," he challenged, as the rest of the guys showed their cards.

Lance beamed as he set down three kings. He was humming as he swept up the chips, and JC realized it was "We Three Kings From Orient Are." Snarky bastard, he thought. God, he loved him.

Eventually, JC started hiding his chips in his sleeve. They were his best friends but he wasn’t going to just give them his money.

"I’m out," he said, tossing down his last hand. He wasn’t particularly vengeful that Lance had won, because he knew Lance would end up buying them all dinner tomorrow with the winnings- it was part of the rules for Ultimate Poker. But the principle of losing every. single. hand. was more than JC could bear.

It was late enough that the rest of them bowed out too, thanking the dealer for his patience with them, tipping him generously for his services. They stumbled into the elevator together, too tired for any more talk tonight. Justin already had his eyes closed, leaning his head on Joey’s shoulder for support.

Back in the suite, Justin disappeared into his room and collapsed. Chris said a speedy goodnight, heading for the multi-headed shower that awaited him in his master bathroom. Joey was already half-undressed by the time his door closed.

"So," JC said, one hand turning his own doorknob. "Guess I’ll see you in the morning." Lance’s eyes were heavy-lidded, his hair falling down some. JC imagined this must be how Lance looked after sex, worn and sated. The thought had his dick doing a little jump in his jeans.

"Goodnight," Lance said, his voice rumbling with fatigue. He offered one more small smile before closing his door.

It was well past two when JC crawled between the covers, yet he still couldn’t sleep. Instead, he slipped a hand around his dick and tugged, fast and hard, pictures of Lance dancing through his brain. It didn’t take long before sticky warmth flowed into his hand, and he bit the pillow as he came, hoping Lance couldn’t hear from next door.

After he’d cleaned up, he closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber, dreaming of Lance and cards and pretty green eyes.

Something was ringing, JC thought vaguely. And it was playing the Mexican Hat Dance, which meant Chris had gotten to his phone at some point last night when he wasn’t paying attention.

Rolling over, he yanked free from the tangled covers to catch his cell phone just before it went to voicemail. Lance.

“Hey, did I wake you?” He sounded ridiculously chipper for whatever ungodly hour it was. Glancing at the clock, JC realized that it was already past ten. He hadn’t slept that late in ages.

“Nah, it’s OK. I should’ve been up already. What’s going on?”

“The other guys are still out cold, but I’m going for a run on the beach… wanna come?” He sounded so hopeful that JC couldn’t say no.

“Sure. Just give me a few minutes to wake up,” he said, snapping the phone closed without saying goodbye. He scratched his head, wandering to the bathroom to brush his teeth, wondering why Lance had called him instead of just knocking on his door. Weird.

It only took him a few minutes to get ready, and soon the two of them were jogging down the steps to the beach, Lonnie in tow. The beach was deserted, long past the time for sunbathers and surfers. Farther down, JC could see a few people walking, but for the most part, they had the sand to themselves. They ran along the ocean’s edge, past empty lifeguard stands and lonely piers jutting out into the water. JC figured they’d been running for about a half hour when the sites of the boardwalk faded into rows of beach houses, painted an assortment of faded pastel colors. Beside him, Lance slowed to a walk, and they both dropped into the sand.

Waves crashed in a roaring crescendo before them, and JC lost himself in the rhythm for a moment as he caught his breath. Lonnie had wandered away, talking on his phone. Beside him, JC could see Lance’s breath coming in small clouds. “This was a good idea,” JC said. He enjoyed the peacefulness of the ocean. “I’m glad you invited me.”

“Me too.” Lance tipped his head down to rest on JC’s shoulder. “God, I’m so tired.”

Playfully, JC ruffled his hair, letting his hand linger there a moment longer than necessary. Lance hadn’t showered yet, and his hair had that post-product feel from being slept on all night. It smelled like almonds.

With a small sigh, Lance let his head rest there, tucked against JC’s jaw. “I’m hungry,” he said, out of the blue.

JC laughed lightly. “Yeah? Wanna run back for breakfast?”

Groaning, Lance leaned away from JC, still sitting close but no longer touching. “Mmmm. I wonder if they have a waffle bar anywhere.”

“Probably.” The casino had a million restaurants that JC had seen the night before. One of them had to serve waffles.

“I wonder how many waffle breakfasts we’ve had,” Lance said, tilting his head to look up at JC. He had to squint as the sun broke out from behind a cloud, bathing them in its warm glow.

“I dunno.” Turning to look down at Lance, JC froze. He was so beautiful, JC thought. And so there. In fact, if he licked his lips a little and tilted his head just right, he could lean down and touch Lance’s lips with his, executing one of those movie-perfect kisses where the music swelled and his hand reached up to stoke the day-old stubble on Lance’s cheek--

It took JC several moments to realize it wasn’t just a brainwave telling him this, but his own five senses, that he was kissing Lance, and that Lance was sitting stark still beside him, stunned.

JC jerked back with a start, mortified. He fumbled for words, but nothing came. Opening his mouth, some sound came out, but it was a stuttering “I- I- I-“ that didn’t go any further.

Lance blinked a few times, then rolled to his feet. “Let’s head back,” he said, voice carefully guarded to hide any emotion. JC started to reply, but Lance was already off and running, staying two paces ahead of him all the way back to the hotel.

Lance didn’t say a word to him, or even look his way, as they headed back inside through their private entrance. Chris was waiting in the parlor as Lance brushed past.

“Dude, what’s wrong with him?” Chris asked when JC came in.

“Nothing,” JC said. Nothing except for the fact that he’d just been kissed by one of his best friends on a public beach. Oh, God, he was never going to hear the end of this once the guys found out.

Chris just brushed it off, though, to JC’s relief. “Whatever. We’re gonna go play slots, you in?”

Grimly, JC shook his head. “I think I’ll pass, I need to shower and stuff.”

“You sure?” Chris asked. “We can wait.”

Again, JC shook his head no. “Ask Lance though, he’ll probably want to go.” With that, he closed the door, shutting himself in his room with his embarrassment.

A tentative knock interrupted his mental bashings as he was drying off from the shower.

“I’m not going!” he yelled, rather annoyed that they hadn’t taken no for an answer the first time.

“It’s me,” Justin called from the other side. “Can I come in?”

JC opened the door, and Justin stumbled in, still jet lagged and tired. He shuffled over to the bed and fell face down on the rumbled covers.

JC smiled, amused at his friend. “Tired, Justin?”

A groan came from somewhere on his bed. Toweling his hair dry, JC grabbed some clean jeans and stepped behind the bathroom door to change. Reemerging a moment later, he saw that Justin was sitting up, flipping through the hotel book from the night table.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much pay-per-view porn,” he commented, tossing the book back to the bed.

JC settled into the recliner positioned in the corner and smiled in response. He paused to study Justin. He looked worn and a little frazzled around the edges, but there was a happiness underneath that hadn’t existed a few months ago.

“You look good, J,” JC said, hands running along the seams of the chair.

Across the room, Justin smiled at him shyly. “Thanks man. You too.”

“How many more months do you have?” JC asked.

“Just two. You’ll see, man, it’s a whole different world going it alone.” Justin rubbed at his shoulder.

“You hurting?” JC asked, noting the pained look on Justin’s face.

“Mmm, yeah. Pulled a muscle or something lifting a drum case the other day. Got a long lecture about how pop stars were here to sing and big strong men were here to lift things afterwards, which didn’t help much.”

“Yikes,” JC said in sympathy. They’d all been there, wanting to help out with the tour in every aspect only to be told they were in the way. Justin’s ego was probably hurting more than his shoulder.

“It’ll be OK,” he said. “I just get bored, you know, being alone now. I’ve missed having you guys around.”

“Me too,” JC said, and it was true. It was great to be able to bring his music to fruition knowing it was exactly what he wanted, but he did miss working with his friends. They made it fun and frustrating and just took everything to a different level than performing alone yielded. Plus, there was the companionship aspect, something that was irreplaceable by any of the new friends or great producers he’d encountered over the past few years. “I’ll be glad to get back in the studio and on the road with you guys.”

“Don’t shortchange yourself, C,” Justin warned. “I’m serious, don’t cut your tour short because of the rest of us. We miss it, but we’re in no hurry. Don’t rush through your stuff because you think we’re anxious to be back or anything.”

Because it was so absurdly sweet, JC took the step between chair and bed to pull Justin into a hug. He’d never find people who cared about him like Justin did, and there was always going to be something between them that he didn’t have with any of the other guys. “Thanks, man.”

Justin pulled away and grinned at him, all adorable again with his hair growing back and just starting to curl. JC wondered why hugging Justin didn’t give him the quivering stomach that he felt around Lance. He certainly loved Justin, and could admit without hesitation that Justin was extremely attractive, but it just wasn’t the same.

“So,” he said, flopping back into the chair. “Tell me about you, tell me about Cameron.”

Justin grinned widely at him. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to get to that.”

“Dude, she went to Europe with you. She’s been following you around for months. Doesn’t she have a movie to make or something?”

“She’s taking some time off,” Justin said, but he was blushing. “It’s good, man, it’s really good. She’s off shopping in Milan, didn’t even wince when I said I was flying in here for the weekend instead of spending it with her. She’s cool man, and, like, I’m totally falling for her.”

JC was happy for him. Justin had been the king of dysfunctional relationships for so long, he deserved something normal for a change- or as normal as you could get in their lives.

“What about you?” Justin asked. “You seeing anyone lately?”

Immediately, JC’s mind went to the kiss from that morning, which he’d managed to forget about for a while. “Nah,” he replied, not looking at Justin at all.

“Because of Lance?” Justin’s voice had gotten quiet, the way it always did when he wanted you to listen seriously to what he was saying. It worked, because JC snapped his head up, panic on his face. “I see the way you look at him, C. It’s OK,” he said, as JC rapidly shook his head in denial. “Actually, I think you guys would be pretty awesome together. Really.”

“It’s so messed up,” JC whispered. “And I think it could really mess up things.”

“JC,” Justin said patiently. “It wouldn’t, because you both care for each other enough not to hurt each other, even if things didn’t work.” JC didn’t say anything, so Justin continued with a sigh. “Look, I’m not gonna pressure you to do anything, OK? If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.”

JC let out a long breath, nodding. It would be easier if he knew that this was meant to happen, that it was written in the cosmos somewhere. but JC had never trusted himself, in life or love, whihc made the whole thing so confusing. He knew he'd never be able to move forward wihtout some sign from Lance, and if Lance's reaction from the beach was any indication, things weren't going anywhere fast.

The phone rang, saving him from any further conversation with Justin. Chris was on the other end of the line, ordering them down for brunch. They found the guys already piling up their plates in one of the main floor restaurants.

JC slid into a booth next to Lance. Not looking over, he mumbled “I’m so sorry about earlier,” then shoveled a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

Lance cocked his head, studying JC. “It’s cool,” he said, and when JC did muster the courage to look over, Lance was smiling so genuinely it made JC’s heart ache. “But can we talk about it later?”

Justin was poking an elbow into JC’s side, but he managed to tell Lance that was fine before other topics took over the conversation at the table. Joey was valiantly trying to convince Chris it was OK to call the waitress “hot stuff” and “honey” even though he was engaged now, but Chris wasn’t having any of it.

“We’re gonna have to be the monogamy police,” he said, “watching out for you on tour to make sure you’re not stepping out on your woman.”

“The only stepping out I’m gonna do is on your face, knucklebrain.” Joey planted a palm on Chris’s face and shoved his head backward, which of course demanded retaliation of Jell-O down the shirt the next time Chris went to the buffet. As the green goo oozed its way down Joey’s back, Justin hooted with laughter, knocking over his mimosa into Lance’s plate of French Toast. JC forfeited his napkin and grinned. God, this was the life.

The indoor pool was empty when they arrived after lunch, which saved them from throwing a pop-star temper tantrum, demanding it be cleared for their convenience. JC knew that Justin had no problem with those requests, but he still felt uncomfortable asking others to stop what they were doing just for him.

Someone had brought a beach ball, which JC blew up in one long breath, to the amazement of his friends. Joey tried to do it and turned ten shades of purple before Chris snatched it away.

“We know you’re a pain, Joe, but we really don’t want you to be asphyxiated proving it.” Joey responded by picking up Chris and jumping into the pool with him.

They bobbed the beach ball around for a while, and convinced Lonnie, Tiny, and Mike to join them so they’d have even teams for a volleyball match. The game ended when Lonnie tried to block Justin’s spike, resulting in a popped beach ball and Chris getting kicked in the groin as Justin came back down.

“No more,” he’d whimpered, then demanded to be carried out of the pool, hand thrown over his forehead in true damsel-in-distress form.

Lance swam over next to JC and stood smiling. JC tried not to look, but it was so hard to resist sneaking a peak of Lance’s gorgeous sculpted chest glistening with water.

From his perch on a chaise, Chris’s voice echoed off the ceiling tiles in the cavernous pool room, interrupting any dirty thoughts JC may have been having. “Alright, time for the next phase of Chris Kirkpatrick’s wild weekend of fun. Shower and whatever, then meet at the boardwalk in front of the hotel in half an hour.

JC started daydreaming in the shower, and it was more like forty-five minutes before he finally walked out the doors onto the boardwalk.

Chris and Justin had convinced two of the rolling chair pushers to loan them their vehicles, and were currently racing down the boards, Chris pushing Lance, Justin pushing Joey. JC watched, laughing as they pushed the heavy chairs, yellow awnings flapping in the breeze. Joey and Justin won, by a hair, and apparently the prize was they then got to ride down the boardwalk. JC hopped in as they rolled by.

“Hey! He’s not part of the deal!” Chris complained.

“Oh, lay off. He doesn’t weigh anything.” Justin slid over to make more room for his friend. JC beamed at him, resisting the urge to turn around and stick out his tongue at Chris. A man did need some dignity, after all.

Most of the shops were closed, and a cold ocean breeze blew down the boards, raising goosebumps on JC’s skin. Still, they found a few small souvenir storefronts to poke around in. The bought matching shot glasses. JC ended up paying for Lance’s, because Lance seemed determined to piss off the clerk by breaking a fifty dollar bill for a three dollar shot glass. He smiled when JC put the two together and handed the clerk a ten.

“Thanks, C,” he said, patting JC on the head, running out of the store to the cart, where Chris had commandeered the interior seats for them. JC climbed inside again, as Joey and Justin got behind to push, shivering with delight as Lance wrapped an arm around his waist to hold him inside. Whatever hard feelings he’d feared may have come about from the morning’s incident didn’t seem to exist.

They stopped further down at Fralinger’s for Salt Water Taffy. Chris was like, well, a little kid in a candy store, filling a massive bag of his own personal choice of flavors while the others selected a few pieces for themselves. Justin bought a box for his mom and one for Cameron.

“What the hell is a teaberry?” Chris asked. “Hey, do these have free samples?”

JC wandered away from the matronly looking sales lady to where Lance stood by the chocolate and fudge display cases.

“I could eat everything in there,” he said, wide-eyed in wonder.

“Pick one,” Lance said. “My treat.” JC smiled at Lance, licking his lips in delight. He had a weak spot for all things chocolate.

“Only if you get one too,” he said, and had the saleslady bring them two delicious looking chocolate covered strawberries.

The dark chocolate and burst of fruit danced over his taste buds, and JC closed his eyes in ecstasy as he tried not to drop a single piece of the chocolate coating. When he did peer out between his eyelids, he saw Lance biting into the confection, the same look of bliss on his face that JC imagined on his own.

Suddenly, he got the image of Lance with a mouthful of something else, and had to turn to the display case and count to twenty, real slow, or else he would have had to explain why he was suddenly turned on by a chocolate-dipped strawberry. It wouldn’t have been the weirdest thing he’d ever done, but definitely one of the worst. Composure regained, JC turned around again, only to see Lance waiting for him, and he winked- winked!- before leaving the store and climbing into the rolling chair. JC’s stomach lurched.

They ducked into a few of the other hotels, but they all sucked in comparison to the Taj Mahal, so they quickly turned back. No amount of cajoling could convince Mike and Lonnie to push the five of them, so they took turns riding and pushing back up the boardwalk. The sun was setting behind the buildings. It’s too bad they weren’t on the West Coast, JC thought, so they could see it set prettily over the ocean.

The rolling chair driver was very relieved to see his cart arrive back in one piece, JC could tell, and thanked them for their business.

“All right, enough fun time. Now we gamble,” Chris declared. He led the way to the video slots, where they commandeered a row of quarter games.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing,” JC noted, feeding coin after coin into the machine. Some of the people around him had debit-cards they were using instead, but he liked the plink of his fortune dwindling away piece by piece. There was fruit and vegetables on his machine, but so far it wasn’t lining up to be any more than a salad.

Beside him, Lance was playing something that looked more like Space Invaders, lining up little pictures of aliens. Occasionally, his machine would whoop and spit back a few quarters. JC sat back and kicked at his machine, just a little. Stupid gambling things.

Down the row, Chris was feeding four machines at once, dancing back and forth pressing buttons.

“What’re you doing?” Justin asked. He was methodical in his gambling, carefully picking the right time to hit buttons, and doing quite well.

“My winning dance. It’s a variation of the Rain Dance. I learned it when C and I hosted that show at the Indian Casino in Connecticut.” JC smiled, remembering. He hadn’t won anything that weekend either, but the place had been beautiful.

Lance looked at Chris like he had three heads, and Justin made some sound of disgust. JC just shrugged. Chris was Chris, and at least he was winning something.

They stayed at the slots until Joey’s stomach started rumbling, reminding JC that it’d been hours since that strawberry on the boardwalk.

“Hey, guys? Can we get dinner?” Beside him, Lance gathered his quarters into a cup. JC looked at his pitiful remaining three, then dumped them into Lance’s cache.

“I want seafood,” Justin said. “Lobster, they don’t have good lobster in Europe.”

Luckily, there was a fish café in the resort, and they served lobster. JC ordered some for himself as well, laughing at the silly bibs the waiter brought over.

“So, I know we talked about this a few weeks ago, but we’re still gonna start recording sometime in April, right?” JC smiled over at Chris. “Definitely. And even if I’ve still got record stuff to do, I suppose I trust J with the post-production.”

“Hey!” he cried. “Who’s the one with the multi-platinum solo album here, anyway?”

“You,” Lance was quick to soothe ruffled nerves, “but not just you for long.” He grinned over at JC and winked in support. To Chris and Joey, he said “Hey, how’re we gonna manage with these two egos anyway?”

“We’re going to paint them with acid while they sleep so that their faces are so hideously deformed no one will want to look at them.” Chris spoke with such calm seriousness that JC looked over with a start.

Chris laughed at his expression. “Sucker.” Everyone chuckled at JC’s gullibility, while Lance reached over to rub JC’s arm in comfort.

“We still love you,” he said. “Even if you would buy the Brooklyn Bridge.”

“It’s for sale?” JC asked, jumping on the joke, and sending Justin into a fit of laughter that had him rocking off of his chair.

“Dude, you probably even believe that shit Melinda’s sending out.” Joey laughed at his own joke, referring to the ‘informational packets’ Melinda sent to them every couple of weeks, including updates on each of their activities. Most of it came from wire services, and they’d already heard all of the details direct from the source by the time the packets got there. JC didn’t mind though, because he liked seeing the pictures that went along with the events his friends described. Especially those pictures of Lance, in that kilt charity thing. Those had given him some especially vivid dreams, ones that had him waking up to sticky sheets and disappointment that they weren’t real.

The waitress came back to clear their plates, interrupting conversation.

“Thanks, honey,” Joey said, a thousand watt smile on his face.

“Joe, you really have to stop that,” Chris said. “You give a woman that look when you’re with Kelly? She’s gonna knock you on your ass.”

Joey sobered, eyes focused on his soda all of a sudden. “Shit, man, I’m just having fun. Kel knows me, she’s not expecting me to change or anything.”

“Sure,” Justin said, drawing out the word. “That’s what she says now.”

“What would you know?” Joey replied curtly. Seeing the wounded expression on Justin’s face, he sighed. “Sorry. I’m just a little freaked out by the whole marriage thing. It’s huge, man, and it fucking scares me to death.”

Lance patted Joey on the shoulder. “Don’t worry man, it’s gonna be great. You know that.”

“I know. I just have these temporary moments of freak-out every now and then. And you guys constantly telling me to stop doing stuff doesn’t really help, you know? Steve does the same thing, and it’s like, I don’t even realize I’m doing it, so how am I gonna stop?”

“Dude, you’ve known Kelly forever, been in love with her since day one." JC smiled in suport of his friend. "And she loves you, man. All of you, even the part that hits on waitresses.”

“And bank clerks,” Justin added happily.

“And ski instructors,” said Lance.

“And her mom,” Chris added. Joey sent him a look that clearly said ‘I’ll get you later for that one.’ Chris shut up.

“OK, enough of this,” Joey said. He eyed the desert cart with longing, but didn’t indulge. “Let’s go lose some money.”

JC wiped his hands on a napkin and stood, following Justin toward the elevator, waiting to whisk them up to one of the VIP clubs, when he felt a hand on his arm. Turning, Lance was standing there, a small smile on his face.

“Come back to the room with me for a minute?” he asked. JC felt his knees go weak at the request. The way Lance was looking at him, this was. Something. His stomach fluttered in nerves as he nodded.

Calling to Chris that they’d meet them later, Lance walked beside JC back to their suite. Every so often, their arms would bump together, sending shivers down JC’s spine. They didn’t talk on the walk back, but the questions in JC’s head were multiplying by the second. Was Lance going to let him down gently? Was this his brush off? Or did he have a completely different reaction to that morning? What it if it wasn’t even about that? Oh, God, what if there was something wrong and he was telling them one-by-one? What if Lance was quitting the group, or. Dying?

By the time they closed the door behind them, JC was almost shaking. “Is everything OK?” he asked. “Are you OK?”

Lance smiled and took two steps toward him. JC didn’t even get a chance to breathe before Lance kissed him. He grabbed onto JC’s face with two hands and melded their lips together. Eyes closed, JC stepped forward until they were pressed against each other, fastening his hands on Lance’s arms, opening his mouth to Lance’s kiss.

It was hot, so hot, and everything that JC wanted, so he threw himself into the kiss, his brain struggling to keep up with his body. His brain spun as he licked at Lance, tongue meeting tongue, lips mashing against lips. Lack of breath had him pulling away, and then the thoughts came crashing back.

“Jesse” was all he said, breathing harshly. Lance stared at him but stepped back, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

“What about him?”

“We can’t do this. You’re in love with Jesse.” His heart broke to hear the words, but he wasn’t going to let Lance play around with him the way he’d done with so many others in the past.

But Lance just snorted at that statement. “What makes you think that?”

JC’s forehead furrowed in confusion. “But. You’re dating him.”

“Jesse’s nice,” Lance said patiently. “And I like him a lot. He’s cute and fun, and great in bed, but he’s not you.”

It took a moment for the words to sink in. “He’s not…”

“God, JC!” Lance cried. “Why do you think I’m in LA all the time when I’ve got three houses and apartments I could be staying in elsewhere? Why?”

JC was stunned. Never, ever, had he thought Lance might feel the same way he did. Only in his most secret fantasies had he allowed himself to imagine that Lance would love him back, might want to be with him.

Instead of saying anything, JC boldly stepped up to Lance and kissed him again. Slower, this time, with more care and feeling.

Lance paused after a moment, a hand on JC’s chest stopping him from getting too close. Beneath his lips, JC felt Lance freeze, so he backed away.

“But we are still together,” Lance said quietly. “And if you and I are gonna start something, I’ve gotta break up with him first. I don’t want our first time together to be cheating.”

JC exhaled slowly, understanding. And it meant the world to him that Lance cared enough for that to matter. It was a huge thing, for Lance, who had never given much credence to monogamy before.

“OK.” JC glanced around the empty room, not trusting himself to be alone with Lance. “We should go,” he said. “Meet up with the guys.”

“Yeah.” Lance checked his watch. “They should be in the club by now.” An evil grin spread across his face. “Wanna go start part two of the Revenge on Chris plan?”

“Sure,” JC laughed as they left the room. “What’ve you got in mind?”

Lance excused himself when they got to the small club, disappearing over behind the bar. Shaking his head, JC wandered back to their table, wondering what the hell Lance was plotting and if he should warn Chris.

“You two lovebirds get everything all straightened out?” Joey commented, clueless. Justin kicked him under the table. “Ow! What was that for?”

“Stop picking on JC,” he said.

“Yeah, stop picking on JC.” Lance slid into the circular booth beside JC, handing him a drink. “I heard they’ve got some good stuff going on here tonight,” he commented.

“It’s supposed to be this great 80s cover band,” Chris said. “I told them I’d buy a round of drinks if they’d play ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and dedicate it to Joey.”

Joey smirked over at him. “Ha, ha.” Across the table, Lance winked at him.

“Check it out, they’re starting.” Chris pointed up at the stage, where the MC stepped up to the microphone.

“Alright, folks, we’ve had a bit of a change of plans here. Apparently Rubix Cube has come down with a bad case of food poisoning, so they’re not gonna be able to perform.” A collective groan came up from around the club.

“What?!” Chris yelled.

“Settle down, now, settle down. We’ve got something here that we know you’ll all love, as it’s the favorite entertainment here. So come on down and pick your songs, cause we’re gonna have an impromptu Karaoke night!” On the floor, the patrons cheered, and there was a small stampede toward the table where books of songs sat waiting.

“This SUCKS!” Chris whined. “Well, I guess we can try some of the other clubs, or go back to the casino. Scoot over,” he said, pushing at Joey, trying to get out of the booth.

“I dunno,” Lance said. “This could be cool. I haven’t done karaoke in forever.” He sipped his drink, some dark amber liquid over ice, smiling over the glass at Chris.

Chris’s eyes narrowed. “What’d you do?”

“What? I didn’t do anything.” Lance could feign innocence better than a host of angels.

Before Chris could question any further, the MC returned to the stage. “All right, we’re ready to begin here, so let’s have Chris K. come up to the stage to start us off.”

Glaring around the booth, Chris fumed. “I hate you all. So much.”

“Chris?” The MC called. “Is Chris here?”

“Your audience is waiting, Chris. Don’t disappoint them.” Joey slid out of the booth, and Justin started pushing from the other side.

“No way,” Chris said, grabbing the table with all his might. “You can’t make me do this.”

Seeing the commotion, the attention of the audience turned to their table. People were chanting “Chris! Chris! Chris!”

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna chicken out, dude.” JC knew exactly what to say, because as soon as anyone insulted his pride, Chris relented. He stood up and, straightening his clothes, strode down to the stage.

“That was easier than I expected,” Justin commented.

“Just wait.” Lance had a wicked smile on his face as Chris picked up the mic and made a few “is this thing on?” jokes.

The opening notes of the song began, and Chris froze on the stage. Justin’s eyes grew wide and he started to laugh. “Oh, man. You didn’t!”

On stage, Chris had murder in his eyes as he started to sing. “You are my fire, my one desire, I never wanna hear you say, Lance Bass will die today.” The whole club broke out in laughter as Chris continued, being a good sport and changing the words here and there to describe the various tortures his bandmates could expect in the near future.

The song finished, and he tried to leave the stage, but the MC called him back. “Chris, wait! There’re three more songs!”

Growling, he stared as menacingly as possible at the man, but the guy had that perky stupidity that made him immune mental death threats being sent his way.

“OK. But I gotta change the song real quick.” Chris ducked over to the booth, and after a quick chat with the DJ, he came back on stage.

“I’m gonna dedicate this one to my friends.” With a smile, he cued the music.

“Oh, fuck no,” Justin whined when the beginning of ‘Like I Love You’ came on. Sure enough, Chris was doing his best Justin impression down on stage. The crowd found it hilarious. Justin looked ready to strangle someone. “You had to go get him riled up,” he whined to Lance, who was loving every minute of this. JC had to admit, it was one of his better plans as of late.

Lance was just smiling so wide JC thought his face might crack. “Hey, man. You didn’t think I’d let him drag me to New Jersey for the weekend without some kind of payback.” Chris was singing pretty well, actually, albeit an octave above Justin’s usual range.

“Yeah, then how come you’re not the one being humiliated?”

“Relax, J. Hey, how bout you go help him out then?” Joey, always the voice of reason, stepped out of the booth allowing Justin space to exit.

“Good idea,” Justin declared, and jumped the railing in a shortcut to the stage. Once there, he stole the mic from Chris’s hands, finishing the song. It was only second nature to add the choreography at that point.

The crowd loved it. Chris stood back on the stage, miming Justin’s moves, playing a bit of air guitar. By the time the final chords were played, the whole club was on their feet, including the other three guys.

“Thanks, y’all,” Justin said. He laid down the mic, then tackled Chris, pretending to strangle him, all the while smiling.

Everyone was cheering for the impromptu show, calling for the other guys to come up on stage. JC was startled to realize that, when you looked out across the sea of faces, most of the people there were at least his age, a good majority of them his parents’ age. Yet they knew the song, were singing along, and now were begging them to go up and sing.

“I think we’d better give them what they want,” he said, “before they turn on us.” With the aide of the bodyguards this time, the three remaining band members made their way down the ramp to the stage.

“We’ve only got four mics,” the booth operator said apologetically. He seemed to be in some kind of shock. JC wondered if this kind of thing had ever happened there before.

“ ‘S cool,” Joey said, sliding up beside Justin. “We can share.”

There weren’t many songs to choose from, but the song list did include ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ and ‘Girlfriend’, which they performed with only minor glitches. If it hadn’t been so casual, so fun, JC would have worried about the fact that Lance slipped up on the words a few times, or that his own voice was a little flat at the hook for ‘Girlfriend’, but those things were pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He’d never expected this from the weekend, getting to be back on stage with his friends, even if it was only a karaoke bar.

They ran out of songs, so they did a couple of Beatles numbers before leaving. The club was too wild after that, so the five of them were escorted out to one of the smaller, high-roller bars on the other side of the casino.

Chris demanded to be bought drinks, so Lance sent for the first round. Joey was pouting because they didn’t have his ridiculous expensive liquor, and Justin was pouting because they dared to card him. JC, however, was having the time of his life, as he downed his shot and signaled for someone to bring him more booze.

They partied and drank, and drank and partied, until JC’s vision was getting just a little bit blurry. The lights were doing amazing things to his depth perception, and the whole room seemed to be zooming in and out around him.

“Lance,” he said, grabbing Lance’s shoulder. “Lance, why’s the room spinning?”

“Oh, boy,” Lance said, slipping an arm underneath JC’s to steady him. “Someone’s had enough.”

JC cuddled into Lance’s embrace, licking up the side of his throat. “I can never get enough of you.”

“And, we’re done for the night.” Lance turned to find Chris in pretty much the same condition as JC, Justin supporting him. “We’re out?”

“We’re out,” Justin said, Joey nodding beside him.

Together, the three of them, plus Mike and Lonnie, managed to get JC and Chris back to the room, despite Chris’s sudden desire to play roulette that kept him veering off toward the casino floor. They crashed on the sofas in the parlor, saying goodbye to the bodyguards, who headed off to sleep.

“Did you see any cameras there tonight?” Justin asked.

“No,” Joey said. JC tried to think about it, but his mind kept wandering back to Lance. He’d tasted really good, and JC wanted more. He leaned in for another lick, but Lance pushed him away. Pouting, JC settled back into the couch cushions. No fair.

“Me neither.” Justin frowned. “It’s weird, the five of us together and no paparazzi.”

“Sssssshhhhh!” Chris leaned in close to Justin’s ear. “It’s a secret.”

“Thanks,” Justin said, but he affectionately patted Chris on the head. “That’s good to know.”

“I know lots of things.” Chris pulled his legs up under him, managing to sit Indian style without losing his balance. “But. I don’t know some things.” His eyes lit up as he looked around the room. “Hey! Tell me a secret! I wanna hear secrets.”

“A secret, huh?” Justin smiled at his friend, then shot a look of amusement to the other sofa where the other three sat. “OK. I’ve got a secret for you. The first time I met Cameron, I was trying to hook her up with you.”

Joey’s eyes grew wide and a low chuckle escaped his lips. Next to him, Lance was laughing softy as Chris tried to process what Justin had said.

“What?” Apparently, Chris's brain wasn’t working quite right. JC wasn’t really paying much attention, though, because there was fringe on the lamp next to the sofa, and that was much more interesting.

“For real. First time I met her, I thought she’d be perfect for you. Same age, same sense of humor. But I could never get you in the same place at the same time, then stuff happened with us, and. Well. Sorry, man. You get the next one.”

Chris’s forehead furrowed in thought. “I think,” he said. “That you somehow just gypped me out of a lot of sex.” He threw a punch in Justin’s direction, but it was easily deflected in his inebriated state.

“OK,” Chris went on. “More secrets. Better ones.”

JC was staring at the ceiling, where there were lions running across the ceiling. He wondered how they stayed up there without falling down. “I hit a cow,” he said absently.

The other four stopped what they were doing and stared at him. “You what?” Joey asked.

“I hit a cow. In Mexico. I was driving back from Baja and there was this cow. In the road. And I hit it.” JC frowned. “Stupid cow messed up my Mercedes.”

Lance was laughing a little, JC could feel the vibrations in his chest. “ ‘s not funny.”

He must have been wrong, though, because everyone else was laughing pretty hard. Something in his brain was telling him that there was a reason he had kept that event a secret. He shook his head, hoping it would clear some of the alcohol-induced stupidity from him.

“Y’all have sucky secrets,” Chris said. “Wanna know mine?” He stood up and walked toward his bedroom door unsteadily, pausing a few steps away from the couch. He didn’t turn around when he spoke.

“I’ve missed you guys. So much it hurts sometimes. And I really hate that I had to bribe you all just so we can get together for more than a conference call.” And with that, he slumped down to the floor in a faint.

Justin hurried to help him up, Joey coming to his aid. They disappeared into Chris’s room for a few moments. They closed the door softly when they reemerged, each heading to their own rooms.

“Night, guys,” Justin said, going into his room. Joey waved before closing the door.

“Guess it’s just you and me,” Lance said. He ran a finger up the seam on JC’s jeans, dangerously close to where JC wanted him to go. “Let’s get you to bed, huh?”

“Mmmm,” JC muttered, curling into Lance. He could already feel his senses returning to normal, but didn’t want his buzz to go. “You come with.”

Lance groaned, and sucked in a breath. “Not tonight,” he said, though it sounded strained.

Frowning, JC pulled himself away from Lance. “Your loss,” he mumbled, running a hand through his messy hair. “I’ve gotta shower.” He smiled down at Lance. “Think of me,” he said with a wink, before leaving, hoping the image of him in the shower would drive Lance as crazy as the opposite did to him.

A shower brought him back to the brink of sobriety, and JC resisted the urge to jack off, not trusting his balance on the slippery tiles combined with the tension that had been built up today. His greatest fear, even more than needles, was that he’d somehow die in the shower and pictures of his dead naked body would end up in the tabloids. It’d be a whole lot worse if he had his hand on his dick.

He wiped down the mirror afterward, studying his face. He looked the same as he had yesterday, and the day before. He wondered how you could feel so different and yet look the same. There should have been something there, something that told the world “this is a man in love, who is loved in return.” Nothing, though.

Grabbing a razor, JC lathered up his face and began to shave away the day’s growth. He’d learned long ago to do it at night, not trusting himself with a razor for at least four hours after waking up. It didn’t take long, and once smooth, he wiped off the foam and headed for bed, turning off the lights on the way. Crawling under the sheets naked, he fell asleep quickly, and dreamt of Lance dancing back in the club, with the funny lights that made the room jump.

The beat of the music changed, got more wooden and staccato, and it took him a while to realize someone was knocking at his door.

“Come in,” he croaked, sitting up, and the door opened slightly. Illuminated from behind, a shadow slipped into the room and shut the door tight behind him. Lance.

“I couldn’t sleep,” a voice said, closer than he’d expected. JC waited for his eyes to readjust to the dark, but he could sense Lance was near.

“What’s up?” JC’s brain was cloudy with sleep and what would surely be a hangover in a few hours, but he could still pick up on something in Lance’s tone that stirred up his heart.

“I called Jesse. Told him it was over.” The bed sagged, and JC felt a hand on his leg. Blindly, he reached out to take it, craving a touch.

“He was OK with it. He seemed to know, somehow, that it was you all along. He said good luck,” Lance said with a slight chuckle.

“Oh,” was all JC could think of to say, but words weren’t needed now. He could just see Lance, so close to him, before Lance’s lips grazed against his. Hot and moist, Lance’s mouth worked slowly, moving in slow motion to draw every taste from JC that he could. JC raised a hand to Lance’s neck, cupping where skin was drawn taunt over muscle, pressing his thumb just enough to feel a racing pulse. He pulled back to breathe, the Lance drew him in again, welcoming him back with a trace of tongue along his lips. JC parted to Lance’s request, savoring the taste of him, burning the memory in his head. Better than chocolate, better than ice cream, Lance was sweet with just a bit of cinnamon flavor that made JC’s blood boil. JC’s body temperature rose under the blankets, only thin cotton separating him from Lance.

Lance shifted and suddenly he was straddling JC, a knee on either side of his hips. JC responded by holding tightly to Lance’s hips, pulling him closer. Between them, his erection throbbed, and the friction of their bodies made his head swirl with desire. When Lance slipped away from his lips, JC let out a groan of frustration, but it was only a momentary loss. He felt the breath first, warming the skin behind his ear, then the gentle pressure of a kiss there. He threw back his head in submission as Lance sucked at his skin. Lance had fisted his hands in JC’s hair, still damp from the shower. His scalp prickled when Lance tugged, not in pain, but the most intense pleasure.

Slipping his hands under Lance’s shirt, JC felt the smooth planes of muscle below Lance’s ribs. Finding a nipple, he rubbed it into a tight bud, tugging a bit before switching to the other, sending shivers down Lance’s spine. He went further, pulling away reluctantly so he could get the shirt off of Lance. He tossed the T-shirt away and took a moment to stroke the contours of Lance’s body.

“So beautiful,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss along Lance’s collarbone. He sucked on the hollow there, reaching out blindly to find Lance’s hands, twining their fingers together in passion. Lance rode his lap, rocking his body in a maddening rhythm that threatened to drive JC over the edge before they’d even gotten to enjoy the view from the top.

Desperate to draw out the moment, JC returned to Lance’s mouth, taking pleasure in the simple kisses, exploring every angle with vigor. He’d imagined that Lance would be a good kisser, had seen the flushed look of Lance’s old partners, but nothing could have prepared him for this. Lance would alternate between slow and fast, deep and light, leaving JC’s head spinning, never knowing what would happen next. He savored the moments, bringing JC with him until his mind was floating way from his body, rapt with pleasure.

Slowly, JC leaned back, pulling Lance along with him. His back brushed against the soft cotton sheets, his chest pressed up against Lance’s skin. Lying flush against each other, JC wrapped his arms around Lance’s back pulling him as close as possible. Just able to make out Lance’s face in the dark room, JC smiled at him, hands constantly moving over every curve, every inch of his body. When they slipped lower, into the back of Lance’s loose pajama pants, both men groaned. Lance pressed down against JC, who was barely able to keep himself from crying out in delight. Hooking his hands in the material, JC tugged until the pants slipped down over Lance’s ass.

Between them, the sheets twisted, tangling around their legs. Lance propped himself up, pulling out of JC’s tight embrace.

“God, JC,” he said, lowering himself for another kiss before pushing up again. “Yes?”

JC nodded forcefully, hands creeping up to frame Lance’s face, stroke at the hair on his temples. His beautiful Lance, something dreams were made of, was here now, in his bed. He’d written a hundred poems, sung a thousand songs about love, but they were nothing compared to this, this swelling of emotion in his heart, this utter connection to another human being.

Above him, Lance had shimmied out of his pajamas and slipped under the covers. He rubbed against JC, pulling every nerve to attention as the incredible sensations flooded JC’s brain. He reached up to pull Lance to him, but he didn’t have to - Lance was already there, kissing him again in that way that made his head spin. His mind was racing to keep up with his body as Lance dropped lower, kissing his chin, his throat, the line down his chest. When he took one nipple into his mouth, JC let out a fierce groan.

“God,” he said, then sucked in a breath as Lance licked into his belly button, going lower.

“Can I…?” Lance’s voice trailed off, but his hands were already moving further down, ruffling crispy hair, inches away from going where JC wanted, needed, them to be.

“Please,” he moaned, voice heavy with desire and urgency. “Oh, God, please.” He wanted this to last forever, to be drawn out all night, their first time together, but at the same time he needed it now, oh right now. When Lance wrapped a hand around the base of his cock, he bucked up in pleasure, back arching to thrust himself further into Lance’s grasp. When Lance bent down and licked at the head, JC couldn’t help but cry out for more.

It wasn’t long enough, not nearly long enough, before JC felt his muscles tensing, the world spinning. Lance kept going, alternating between his mouth and his hand, slipping down to cup JC's tight balls in between strokes. When he came, JC squeezed his eyes shut so tightly he saw lights and colors behind them. Lance stroked him through, sitting back on his heels as JC came down from his climax.

JC licked at his lips as his body calmed. He could barely see Lance shifting over him, but he heard the rustle of fabric as he wiped his hand. JC propped himself up on his elbows, waiting until Lance sat back to speak.

“Lance,” he whispered, for the moment called for soft words. “Oh, God, Lance.” He lifted one hand to stroke at his face, sitting up more to kiss Lance’s tender lips.

Lance tipped toward him, sliding down the length of his body, stretching out legs so they could tangle with JC’s. The sheets under his back were damp with sweat, so JC rolled them over to the far side of the bed, where the linens were cool and crisp.

“Fuck me,” he whispered, leaning close to Lance’s ear. Already, the images were stirring his cock again, still tender from his release. “Let me ride you.”

With a groan, Lance nodded. JC slipped out of the bed and rummaged through his bag. It took a while without the light, but he found the small leather pouch buried beneath his clothes. From it he grabbed the small bottle of lube and a condom. On second thought, he grabbed two, then leapt back to bed in only two steps.

Pushing the covers to the end of the bed, JC slid in on top of Lance, kneeling over him. Palms flat, his hands glided up Lance’s chest, fingers tickling his ribs. Down again, and this time he kept going, taking Lance’s cock between his palms, hands moving up and down in tandem, eyes watching as Lance thrust up into his grasp.

JC worked him harder, all the while feeling his own erection coming back between them. “Love you,” he whispered, not even sure Lance could hear him, but he needed to say it. “God, I love you.” Lance’s hands were at his knees, squeezing hard and fast as JC sped up his motions.

He stopped, suddenly, to rip open the package and roll the condom down Lance’s cock. He took a moment to warm a handful of lube before working it over Lance, loving the way Lance seemed to grow even harder as his hands worked in tandem to get Lance ready. Kneeling up, JC slid forward, and slowly, so slowly, began to lower himself down. He hadn’t been loosened up at all, and the pressure was intense, but not unbearable. Slowly, he sank, eyes never leaving Lance’s. They were so light, even in the dark room, and Lance’s mouth was caught open wide as he panted for breath. JC settled down, at last, then leaned forward for a kiss, stealing whatever air Lance had managed to suck in.

He began to rock, Lance thrusting against him, and he was amazed at how well they moved. In synch in the ancient dance of two bodies, hands gripping flesh, lips meeting in a frenzy of passion. Words escaped JC’s mouth between kisses, but he couldn’t tell what they were. Song lyrics, bits of poetry, professions of love- he wasn’t sure, but he could hear his voice, and hear Lance’s responses beneath him- “so much, I do, oh yes.”

With a flash, he felt Lance’s body contract. He watched as Lance came, holding on to JC as the orgasm rocked his body. JC dropped a hand between them to finish himself off, coming quickly as Lance slipped back down to coherence.

They lay breathing for a moment, JC pressing the occasional soft kiss on Lance’s forehead. With a grunt, he forced himself to pull away, stumbling into the bathroom for a washcloth. When he came back, Lance had taken care of the condom and pulled the top sheet up flat so they could sleep on a dry surface. Slipping under the blanket, JC carefully washed off Lance’s chest before settling beside him.

Lance immediately shifted closer, wrapping an arm around JC’s chest. “I’ve wanted you for so long. It’s hard for me to believe this is real.”

“Me too.”

“If it’s not, don’t wake me.” Lance traced the ridges of JC’s arm with a light touch.

“OK.” Already sleepy, JC settled into the pillow, more content than he’d been in a long, long time.

When JC awoke there were three things on his mind: gotta pee, mmmmm Lance, and what the fuck was that noise?

Slipping on his pajama bottoms, JC dealt with the noise first. Of course, it would be Justin.

“Rise and shine, guys. We’re going to run.” Horribly awake for the morning after their drunken debauchery, Justin stood there with a giant smile, already wearing sweats and sneakers.

JC had the good sense to keep the door half-closed, blocking Justin’s view of the bed where Lance lay, still asleep. “Justin, I don’t want to run today.”

“Fucker, yes you do. And you can get Lance up too. I never get to run on the beach, and you guys went without me yesterday, so the least you can do is come with me today. C’mon, you can sleep in tomorrow.”

JC never could resist Justin’s pleading face. He managed to look like a lost child and an adorable puppy all at once. That face probably played a significant role in his success, JC thought wryly, as he walked back to the bed and shook Lance awake.

Groaning, the mound of covers moved just enough for Lance’s eyes to peak out. “What’re you doing up?” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. He blinked, JC coming into focus in front of him. “Come back to bed.”

Rubbing circles on Lance’s back, JC smiled. This was everything he’d wanted, sunny mornings in bed, plans to hang out during the day.

“Justin wants us to go running, and we did ditch him yesterday.”

Lance picked his head up, his face contorted in a grumpy expression. “He was fucking dead to the world yesterday. We couldn’t have woke him if we’d tried.”

“True,” JC smiled, “But he’s all excited. You can stay here if you want, but I’m gonna go.”

“No, no.” Lance shoved himself up to his hands and knees and climbed out of bed. “Does he know I’m in here?” he asked as he dressed.

“I think he suspects,” JC said, “but doesn’t know for sure.”

“OK.” With a sigh, Lance looked around, still a bit disoriented. “Give me a few minutes to get ready,” he said, turning for the door. He stopped two steps away from it, then turned back to JC.

Closing the distance between them in a few long strides, he rested one hand on JC’s shoulder and pressed a light kiss to his lips. “Morning,” he said warmly, then pulled away with a sigh.

JC grinned, and walked him to the door, kissing him again before he left. Then, surveying the messy bed and blankets on the floor, he waded through discarded bedding to find his sweats and his Nikes.

They ran in the other direction that morning, along the rows of summer houses, all boarded up for the winter. The sun shown warmly on the beach, but it wasn’t enough to stop the cool wind that cut along the shore. JC kept his eyes on the horizon as he ran, following Justin’s footsteps around ditches in the sand and debris washed up on shore. Beside him, he could hear Lance’s even breath and they jogged, muscles warming with exertion.

When they stopped for water, Lance rested his hand in the small of JC’s back. Justin didn’t say a word, just raised his eyebrows and smiled at JC. Before they turned around, he shot him a thumbs up sign. JC was wildly amused at this, throwing back his head in laughter as they started to run.

“What’s so funny?” Lance asked.

“Nothing. Everything.” JC grabbed his hand and stopped him, planting a quick kiss on his lips before taking off again. It was risky, he knew, but so far this weekend they hadn’t had any spy cameras around, and he hoped that now wouldn’t be the time they started.

It was quick, only a flash in his life, but the joy it spread through him seeing Lance’s surprised face, hearing his deep laugh, was a memory he tucked away to hold forever. Taking off to catch up to Justin, JC concentrated on the pounding of his feet on the sand, the crash of the waves on the shore, and the thoughts in his head about what the future might bring. There were a million scenarios, but he concentrated on the happy ones, the ones that had him and Lance together, making music, making love, and making each other happy.

It was almost noon by the time they all congregated in the parlor of their suite, freshly showered and ready to face the day. Chris had slept through most of the morning, and Joey had spent it in the hotel gym, lifting weights.

“The kid’s getting pretty heavy,” he commented. “Gotta stay in shape so I can keep flying her around the room when she wants to play Peter Pan.”

Justin was talking to him about free-weights compared to resistance machines when JC finally joined them, last ready as usual. The only time he was ever early was when they were going on stage.

“Let’s brunch,” Chris suggested, and the made their way down to the one of the restaurants, singing in the halls until they got out to the public sections of the resort.

JC’s stomach rolled as the smells of bacon and sausage drifted his way. Chris was in much worse shape than him last night, how was it he was drooling over the menu while JC was terribly nauseous? Then again, JC had the benefit of a night of amazing sex while Chris had passed out on the floor, so he supposed that evened things out in a way. Still, JC ordered a fruit plate and tried not to throw up as Justin and Chris fought over the last piece of greasy bacon.

Afterward, they strolled through some of the casino shops for a while. JC bought a few postcards to send to his parents and grandparents, scribbling out messages and posting them at the front desk. He was just finishing when strong hands grabbed his waist and he felt himself being carried away.

“Joey!” he cried “Put me down, man!” Ahead of them, he heard the others chanting “Beach! Beach! Beach!”

“You’re not throwing me in the ocean, Joey, no! Have some sympathy! Or, or, or, I’ll corrupt your daughter! I’ll buy her Barney videos for Christmas, the whole collection. You’ll be singing the ‘I Love You’ songs until your ears bleed.”

JC could see sand below him now. “I’m serious, Joey, you put me down in the water and you’re a dead man.” He screamed when Joey flipped him vertical again, anticipating the rush of freezing sea water on his feet, but, surprisingly, landed on sand.

Superbly happy not to have wet feet, JC laughed along with his friends. Chris had bought a Frisbee in the gift shop, and soon they were spread out on the sand, tossing it back and forth, until Lance misjudged the distance to Justin and sent it sailing into the surf.

The five of them stood in a line, watching the green disk bob with the waves.

“So, who’s gonna go get it?” Chris asked expectantly. The other four turned their stares to him.

“That water’s gotta be forty degrees,” Justin said. “You’re crazy.”

“Well, then Bass owes me a new Frisbee,” Chris said. “I’d would say he could pay me with sex, but I don’t want JC to get jealous.”

JC’s eyes grew wide at the same time Lance’s mouth gaped open. “What?”

“You didn’t think we wouldn’t notice?” Joey said. “Even if J hadn’t said anything, you two have it written all over your faces.”

“It’s cool,” Chris said with a laugh. “Stop looking like you expect us to hit you or something.”

JC shrugged, glancing at Lance with amusement. “OK.” He didn’t really know what else to say. To be honest, he hadn’t even thought about what the other guys would think. He wondered if it was because he didn’t care, or because he just knew it wouldn’t be an issue. Deep in his heart, he knew it was the latter.

“Oh well,” Justin said, as they watched the undertow carry their toy away. “I guess that’s it for Frisbee. Wanna go in and hit the tables?”

JC decided that he could afford to lose a little more money, so he joined them at the craps table. Lance knew all the tricks to playing and tried to explain the strategies to him, but JC’s brain kept going back to the statistics of it all, balking at the slim chances of winning. He kept his bets conservative, watching as his friends rolled the dice around, cheering for wins and groaning at losses.

They shifted over to Roulette after a while, switching over their chips. JC grinned at his little purple stack, watching as they disappeared with each spin of the wheel. Only Lance seemed to be winning, or at least his blue chips were disappearing much slower than the rest of them.

“Last round for the table,” the dealer announced.

“All right, little chipper, you’re my last hope,” Chris said fondly. “Fifty on #32. Because it’s my 32nd birthday party, right?”

“Sounds good to me,” JC said, adding to the pile. The others dropped their chips there too, watching the stacks grow until the dealer called no more bets.

The ball dropped with a clack and then wheel spun, a blur or red and black. JC’s mind was already on dinner, wondering if there were any restaurants left to hit, when he realized Chris was screaming in his ear. Sure enough, the ball had stopped on 32 and the dealer was passing out their chips.

“I’m rich! I’m rich!” Chris threw up a handful of chips, watching them shower back down on the table.

“Dude, you’ve got more money than that sitting in your nightstand,” Justin said, but he was smiling.

Chris just shrugged, and set about passing out the chips to other gamblers nearby. “Merry Christmas,” he cried as they thanked him profusely. He ordered a round of drinks for everyone on the floor, sending the waitresses into a panic as they rushed to take orders.

Cashing in his chips with Lance beside him, JC counted out the bills and stuffed them in his pocket. “Not bad,” he commented, watching Lance collect his money.

“No. But not great. It makes me appreciate the high stakes tables at Bellagio,” Lance said with a grin. “Wanna go to Vegas next weekend?”

“Can’t,” JC said. “Gotta fly home for Thanksgiving.”

“That’s next week?” Lance said, incredulously. “Shit, I gotta get a ticket.”

“What ever happened to Scoop? The guy who had the schedule memorized?”

“Well, I’ve been a little preoccupied these past few weeks,” Lance said. “Trying to deal with this big impending crush without letting my boyfriend know.”

“Yeah? How’d that turn out?”

“Pretty well. Turns out the boyfriend wasn’t the right guy anyway.” Lance smiled at him.

“And the crush?”

“Would be pretty incredible if he stopped talking about himself in the third person.” Lance shot him a goofy grin as the other guys came over.

“Justin informs me I have presents, so we are going to go open them now.” Chris brushed by them, leading the way back to their room.

Following along, the settled back onto the couches. Lance propped his feet up in JC’s lap, stretching back against the arm. Chris settled into a chair, waiting as Joey and Justin brought him his gifts, both with fancy wrapping.

“Joey, didn’t you give him those golf clubs in Jamaica?”

“Yeah, but. I had the opportunity to get this, and. It’s just too good to wait for Christmas. But open J’s first, man.”

With a shrug, Chris sat Joey’s box on the table and ripped into the smaller box from Justin. “Aw, you got me jewelry,” he said teasingly, opening the rectangular box.

“Cool!” he cried, and JC leaned forward to see what it was. “Season tickets to the Penguins!” He stood up and did a little dance, shaking his belly around. It ended with a big hug for Justin.

“Yeah, well, you said you weren’t getting them this year cause you weren’t there a lot, but I figured you should have them anyway, just in case. Sorry you’ve already missed a lot of games, though.”

“That’s OK, that’s cool, this is awesome.” Settling back down, Chris tucked the tickets into his shirt pocket and reached for Joey’s present. Tearing off the wrapping and dropping it on the floor, he studied the box.

“Thanks, Joe.” JC could see it was the Indiana Jones DVD. He looked over at Joey, quizzically, wondering what was so special about that.

Joey rolled his eyes. “Look inside,” he said, reaching over to pull the case apart for Chris.

Chris opened it up and yelped in surprise. “It’s signed! You got it signed!”

“Where?” Justin jumped over to look, peering over Chris’s shoulders. “Lucas, Spielberg, AND Harrison Ford?” That got Lance up, slipping out of JC’s grasp to see. Sure enough, each disk had a different signature.

“Dude,” Chris said, wrapping his arms around Joey’s neck in a giant hug. “This so rocks.”

“We’re so watching these, right now,” Justin said, pressing the button that made the TV rise up out of the bar. He practically skipped over to pop in the first disk. Joey and Chris shoved one of the sofas around for better viewing, and the three of them stretched out, propping their feet up on the coffee table. JC vaguely wondered if there was a camera around, cause that was a great picture, the three of them in identical poses, settling in for a long movie marathon.

JC stretched his legs out while Lance got them drinks, taking up the whole length of the couch. He smiled innocently when Lance returned.

“And where am I supposed to sit?” Lance asked, a glass in each hand.

“Oh, did you want to sit here?” JC smiled innocently.

Lance didn’t reply, just sat down on top of JC’s legs, managing to keep the glasses upright as they squirmed around, fighting for space. Finally, JC spread his legs and Lance sank down between them, leaning back against his chest. He set the drink on the table behind the sofa and grinned.

On the screen, the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark was just beginning, and Indiana was racing away from the giant ball. JC wrapped his arms around Lance and squeezed. “Hi.”

Smiling, Lance looked back over his shoulder at JC. “Hi.”

“Having fun?”

“Yup.” JC placed a soft kiss at Lance’s temple, then turned his attention to the movie. Lance shifted a little, settling more comfortably into his embrace.

Somewhere in the middle of Temple of Doom, Lance started fidgeting. “Getting stiff?” JC asked, loosening his grip so Lance could move freely.

“Yeah.” Lance stood up and bent down to touch his toes, shaking out his arms. He cricked his neck from side to side and smiled. “Think they’d notice if we disappeared for a while?” They glanced at the other couch, where the three guys had their backs to them, completely engrossed in the elephants on screen.

Only one way to find out.

“Fire,” JC said in a voice just below normal. “The room is on fire.”

The three of them stayed focused on the screen, not even registering his voice.

“I think we’re safe.” Lance led him into the bathroom, locking the door behind him. JC clutched Lance’s shoulders as he brought him close, mouth descending for a kiss.

It had only been hours since they were last together, but already it seemed like a lifetime, and as soon as JC got one taste, he wanted more. Spinning them around, he walked back into the spacious room, stopping when they got to the counter. There, he dropped his hands to Lance’s ass and lifted, helping him to sit up onto the cool marble counter.

It was hot and fast and incredibly erotic- the slide of the zipper, the gasp Lance let out as JC pulled out his growing cock, the first taste of Lance when he lowered his mouth. JC had never been big on blowjobs, but he thought that might have just been because he’d never had Lance. He opened his throat and allowed Lance to thrust in, sucking hard, licking at the head lightly each time he pulled off for air. He gripped at Lance’s thighs, holding him up, as Lance arched against the mirror.

“Shhhhh,” he whispered when Lance let out a moan, “You have to be quiet.” Then he went back to his task, using his mouth to drive Lance crazy.

Lance‘s breath sped up, his hips thrusting wildly, and then he was coming. JC tried to ride it out, but he couldn’t catch it all, pulling back to finish with his hands. Sheepishly, he stood and reached for a towel, wiping his cheek and Lance’s cock before throwing it into the trash can. Nobody needed to use that again, even if it was washed.

Lance lowered his feet to the floor and kissed him, which was incredibly hot, the taste of Lance still on his lips. JC could have kept kissing him forever, but his own cock was raging in his pants, desperate for release. Lance slid down to his knees, lifting JC’s shirt to press a few quick kisses on his chest before undoing the buttons on his jeans.

Lance’s mouth was warm and hot and went on forever, taking JC’s cock right up to the hilt. He tried not to thrust, to hold himself still as Lance worked his magic, humming deep in his throat, which sent tremors all the way up JC’s body. When he came, it was an explosive orgasm, bursting forth surprisingly soon, almost knocking him off of his feet.

When he opened his eyes, Lance was looking up at him, grinning wickedly. “I never would have pegged you for the sex in the bathroom kind of guy.”

“What can I say,” JC grinned. “You bring out the devil in me.”

“Though you did write an awful lot of really dirty songs for your album,” Lance commented as he washed his hands. “So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised.”

JC poked at his ribs. “All day long I dream about sex with you,” he sang, “with you.”

“You’re gonna have to teach me the harmonies for that,” Lance commented. “It can be a duet.”

JC was still humming the song as they snuck back out of the bathroom. He realized maybe they weren’t as subtle as he’d thought when they were greeted by three amused stares. JC blushed, deeply embarrassed, but Lance just nudged his shoulder and did a little bow.

“We’re not rewinding it for you, fuckers,” was all Chris said. He turned his attention back to the movie. Justin winked at them before looking back to the screen.

They ordered dinner during Last Crusade, enjoying room service. Justin had to catch a red-eye back to Paris, so they spent most of dinner ignoring the movie, talking in their last hour together.

“Oh, before I forget, I wanted you all to hear something.” Joey went into his room and came back out with a CD.

“I got this for my mom and dad for their anniversary, and it gave me an idea.” The case, JC saw, was the special four-disc edition of the Beach Boy’s Pet Sounds.. “See, they saved all of the vocal masters from the original recording sessions and the fourth disc is just that, no instrumentation, all raw a capella stuff. I thought it might be something to consider, you know. Instead of doing like, a bonus DVD thing like everyone else, we could have a special edition a capella CD. Like, sell the disc but also sell this two-disc edition.” He shrugged, aiming for nonchalance.

JC was nodding along with Joey, watching the reactions of the others. Chris seemed very interested- he’d always liked showcasing their harmonies. Justin’s face was buried in the CD notes.

“I like it,” Lance said slowly. “There’s a lot of stuff we’d have to decide if we did it, you know, songs and stuff, but. I like the general idea. It’s different and it’s something unique, something that wouldn’t work for anyone else out there right now.”

Justin reached up and clapped Joey on the shoulder. “Good idea, Joe.” He was gnawing on his lip, deep in thought. “Wish I’d thought of it.”

Joey smiled at that. JC knew Joey had felt overshadowed in the past, like his ideas were always brushed aside. It wasn’t the case, but it did seem that way sometimes.

Justin left soon after that, with a flurry of hugs and promises to call each other soon to make plans for their Christmas celebration. JC offered to ride to the airport with him, but Justin waved him away.

“Stay here,” he said. “But I’m going to call you soon to find out details.” He wiggled his eyebrows seductively, making JC laugh. He really needed to see Justin more often.

After Justin left, Joey pulled out some home movies of Briahna, and they watched as she danced across the screen, dressed up in her princess Halloween costume.

“She’s something special, Joe.” JC smiled at the screen, watching the little girl blow kisses to the dog.

“I know,” he said warmly, smiling at JC. “Thanks.”

He left to call home shortly later, hoping to catch his daughter before bedtime. Chris glanced around. Taking a hint from the looks JC was shooting him, feigned exhaustion and went to his room.

Lance held JC’s hand as he led them into the bedroom, smiling shyly as they undressed. They had sex slowly with the lights on. That night, they slept in Lance’s room, wrapped up in sheets that smelled like Lance. JC watched Lance fall asleep, tracing the slight smile on his face with light fingers.

They ran again in the morning, though storm clouds kept them from venturing far from the hotel. Joey was packed and ready to go when they got back, waiting in the parlor for his ride.

“You’ll be down soon, right?” he asked. “I’ve got tickets for you, whenever you can make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it, “ JC promised. He’d seen Joey in every play since high school and wasn’t about to stop now. “I’ll give you a call.”

Lance enveloped Joey in a huge hug before he left, sending his love to his goddaughter. JC and Lance stood together as Joey retreated down the hall.

“And then there were three,” Chris said, emerging from his room with his bags.

“C’mon,” Lance said, helping Chris with the duffle. “We’ll treat you to a farewell birthday breakfast.”

As they ate, Chris kept staring at Lance and JC, eyes wandering back and forth between the two of them.

JC cocked his head and stared at Chris. “What?”

“What?”

“Why’re you looking at me all funny?”

Chris laughed, stirring patterns in the syrup on his plate. “Just thinking, you know, about you guys. I didn’t see it coming, but. It makes sense in that weird backward way.”

JC nodded, a quick bob of the head. Chris had weird logic, but it had come to make sense to him over the years. Sometimes he thought the reason he had trouble communicating with others was because he’d spent so much time with Chris, where even the most incoherent sentences made sense. It drove Lance crazy sometimes, he remembered with a smile, when the two of them could carry on entire conversations without ever completing a thought.

Because he knew that, he squeezed Lance’s hand under the table. Lance squeezed back and smiled.

“It doesn’t have to make sense,” he said. “Since when has anything any of us have done made much sense?”

Chris laughed at that, and launched into one of their adventure stories from tours past.

The three of them had flights close together, so they shared a car to the airport. They dropped Chris at the United terminal, where security was waiting to whisk him into the VIP area. “Thanks for coming,” he said, in a rare moment of seriousness, before hugging them both and getting out of the car. As they were about to drive away, they heard Chris yell.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten that karaoke incident, Bass. You’ll be sorry, next time!”

JC and Lance dissolved into fits of laughter as the car pulled them up to their terminal for their flight back to LA together.

“I switched my ticket,” Lance said sheepishly, embarrassed by the sappiness of it. “You know, so we could fly together.”

JC grinned and kissed him on the forehead, thankful for the privacy of the first class lounge.

“Do you want to stay with me, when we get back to LA?” JC asked. He’d hoped Lance would agree, rather than going to a hotel.

“Mmmm. I’d like that.” Lance’s voice was low, his fingers wrapped in the material at the back of JC’s shirt. “I’m gonna have to go pick up some stuff I left at Jesse’s.”

“Tomorrow,” JC suggested, and Lance nodded. Tomorrow.

The flight was announced, and they waited until everyone else was boarded before being escorted onto the plane. JC graciously took the middle, knowing how Lance loved the view, and settled back for a long nap. As they took off, he felt the pull of gravity dragging him back down, and turned to watch as the ground faded away. Lance reached out to take his hand, and they disappeared into the clouds, on their way home.

END


End file.
